JESSE KICKLIGHTER
Pioneers of Wiregrass Georgia.
Jesse Kicklighter was born in Colleton District, S.C., in 1804, a son of Andrew Kicklighter. He came with his parents when they moved about 1810-15 to Bulloch County, Georgia, where they (the parents) lived until their deaths, said Andrew having been born 1777 in South Carolina, and died in Bulloch County 1863. Jesse Kicklighter was married twice. His first marriage was in Bulloch County June 10, 1823, to Levisa (or Vicy) Thomas, born about 1805, daughter of William Thomas of Bulloch County.
The first wife died in Tattnall County Sept. 28, 1853. Mr. Kicklighter then married Mary Ann Geiger in Tattnall County, March 3, 1856. She was born in 1831.
About 1839, Jesse Kicklighter moved to Liberty County and settled in the portion now Long County. He lived there until about 1862-3 when he sold his holdings there and moved to Wayne County where he lived until his death about 1875, survived by his second wife and his large family of children, none of whom apparently had previously died. Most of his children after marriage moved to Tattnall County only a few miles from their old home section in Liberty (now Long) County. In Tattnall they lived in the Glennville section of the county. Jesse Kicklighter was buried by his first wife in Beard’s Creek Church cemetery in Tattnall County.
Children of JESSE KICKLIGHTER and LEVISA THOMAS are:
i. HENRY KICKLIGHTER, b. 1824; m. MARY ANN MOODY, September 1846; b. 1818, Georgia.
ii. LURANEY KICKLIGHTER, b. 1826; m. WILLIAM BAKER.
iii. LANEY KICKLIGHTER, b. 1828; m. WILLIAM DUBBERLY; b. 1827; d. 1895.
iv. JESSE KICKLIGHTER, JR, b. 1829; m. MARTHA LYNN.
v. EBENEZER KICKLIGHTER, b. 1834; m. MARTHA DENMARK.
vi. GADSY KICKLIGHTER, b. 1835; m. (1) ELI MOODY; m. (2) WILLIAM AMMONS, January 25, 1868, Wayne Co, Georgia.
vii. RONELDA KICKLIGHTER, b. September 19, 1836; d. August 27, 1890, Georgia; m. ALFRED EVERETT BACON, CSA, #; b. October 19, 1837, Georgia; d. October 18, 1884, Georgia.
viii. TEMPIE KICKLIGHTER, b. 1838; m. JOHN CURRY.
ix. FREDERICK KICKLIGHTER, b. 1840; m. JOSEPHINE PARKER.
x. WILLIAM KICKLIGHTER, b. 1843; m. (1) MARY DENMARK; m. (2) MARY MUSIC.
xi. JACOB KICKLIGHTER, b. 1844; m. MARY LONG.
xii. MATTHEW KICKLIGHTER, b. 1846; m. ANN STRICKLAND.
xiii. ANNA KICKLIGHTER, b. 1847.
xiv. MARTHA KICKLIGHTER, b. 1847.
xv. ELI KICKLIGHTER, b. 1850.
Children of JESSE KICKLIGHTER and MARY GEIGER are:
xvi. SAMANTHA KICKLIGHTER, b. 1859; m. HENRY STRICKLAND.
xvii. WINIFRED V. KICKLIGHTER, b. May 1861, Georgia; m. MILTON WESTBERRY, CSA, January 08, 1878, Wayne Co, Georgia; b. December 23, 1823, Appling Co, Georgia; d. 1908, Georgia.